Persona 3 FES- A Journey Not Forgotten
by JtheGildedSword
Summary: Basically Persona 3 FES told from an OC's -takes place of Minato- point of view. I also put in a few things here and there that I think would have either made the game/story better, or things that I think portray the personality of me/my OC. Enjoy! Rated T because I'm not sure why Persona 3 is rated M. But rated T for cursing and violence in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1: Welcome to the Dorm

**Time never waits.**

**It delivers all equally to the same end.**

**You, who wish to safeguard the future, **

**however limited it may be…**

**You will be given one year;**

**Go forth without falter,**

**with your heart as your guide.**

**...**

I walked the halls and stores of Paulownia mall, my headphones were blaring my favorite song, 'Burn My Dread.' I was into this kind of music- the majority of it actually. I looked at all of the passing people.

It must be nice to have a typical life. Not that I would know. There's so much going on, so many things that have happened- I've nearly lost track. But every time I pushed the memory out- it just came back somehow.

As the song says, 'I will burn my dread.' But if I've learned anything, it's that it's easier said than done. I walked out of Paulownia mall, walking toward the train station. I stepped onto the train, looking out the window. It was already getting late… I may reach the dorm after midnight.

"Attention passengers, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by the delay." The man over the speakers announced.

We were halfway there when my watch signaled 11:45. _"Oh, well. It's not like __**I**__ care."_ I thought. I took a glance out the window at the buildings of the city. We reached the station at 11:58. I stood there, reading the hanging sign. "Iwatodai…" I read aloud.

I started walking. When I had made it through the metal detectors, I noticed the clock struck 12:00. All of the power went out at once, and blood began to run down the clock. "Today is absolutely not my day…" I said aloud when I noticed that my headphones had turned off. "How…?" I asked myself. I stepped out of the station and looked at the moon.

"Bright green, eh?" I asked, trying to keep my cool under the circumstances. I looked around me- empty streets… unless you counted the coffins surrounding me. I just began to walk wherever my map would take me. I felt like I was in the middle of a horror movie. _"Is this real?"_ I asked myself.

I stepped in a puddle in front of the dorm. I looked at the puddle, and it was made of blood as well. "Here I am… I guess." I said aloud, taking one more glance around at the coffins. I grabbed the door and opened it to the dorm. The lights were on, unlike the buildings on the streets.

I removed my headphones, taking in the glory of my new home. "You're late. I've been waiting a long time for you." I heard a voice next to me say. I turned slowly towards it, hoping to find someone normal.

I was greeted by a kid in a striped shirt and hair only down to the bottom of his scalp. He had blue eyes, and was resting his head on his fist. He snapped his fingers suddenly, and he said something. "Now, if you want to proceed, please sign your name here. It's a contract. Don't worry, all it says is that you accept full responsibility for your actions." He said, handing me a pen. "You know, the usual stuff."

I scribbled the name Josh Maindo. I dropped the pen and watched the small boy. "No one can escape time…" He said. "It delivers us all to the same end. You can't plug your ears and cover your eyes…" The light in the room was shifting. He turned his hand so the binding of the contract was facing me, and it disappeared. The shadows somehow started to cover the boy. His hand outstretched, the words I heard were: "And so it begins…" He disappeared into the shadows. The light was gone.

_"I wish I read that contract…"_ I thought. I heard another voice cry out next to me.

"Who's there?" It demanded. I turned to see a girl with brunette hair. She wore a pink shirt with a black skirt. Envisioning it on anyone else, it looks silly, but she could make it work… However, my eyes snapped to the holstered gun she appeared to be reaching for. I decided to be still, as not to anger her.

She started to breath heavily. She grabbed the gun and I nearly dropped to the ground in fear. "Takeba! Wait!" I heard another voice scream. Her head whipped around and I saw a beautiful high school student. She had dark red hair and a white shirt on.

All of a sudden, the lights were back on, "Burn My Dread" was blaring on my headphones, and the two beautiful girls were standing there staring at me. The redheaded one walked towards me. "I didn't think you'd arrive so late…" She said with a smile on her face.

"I'm Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students who live in this dorm." She said.

"Who's he?" The brunette one asked.

"He's a transfer student. It was a last minute decision to assign him here." It was awkward being talked about like I wasn't there- but I didn't want to offend them. I would be living with them, after all. "He'll eventually be assigned to a room in the boy's dorm." She continued.

"Is it okay for him to be here?" The brunette asked, her eyes darting from me to Mitsuru.

Mitsuru smiled suspiciously. "I guess we'll see." She said, obviously going into thought. "This is Yukari Takeba." She said. "She'll be a junior this spring, just like you."

"…Hey." She said awkwardly.

"H-hey. If you don't mind my asking… why do you have a gun?" I asked.

Her face transformed into one of remorse and shock. "Huh? Um, well… It's sorta like a hobby." I looked at her in confusion. "Well, not a hobby, but…"

Mitsuru shook her head. "You know how it is these days… It's for self-defense. It's not a real gun, of course." She said, wearing that same suspicious smile as before. "It's getting late, so you should get some rest. Your room is on the second floor, at the end of the hallway. Your things should already be in there." She looked at Yukari expectantly.

"Oh… uh… I'll show you the way. Follow me." She said, starting on her way down the hall. We went up a staircase and down the hall on our right. We got to the end when she decided to speak. "Pretty easy to remember, huh? …Since it's right at the end of the hall." She said, trying to fill the silence.

"Yeah, I guess so." I said, taking out my key.

"Oh, make sure you don't lose your key, or you'll _never_ hear the end of it…" She said, rolling her eyes. "So, any questions?" She asked.

"Yeah, just one. What was that contract I signed for?" I asked, confused already. She wore a disordered look and did a double take.

"Huh? What contract?" She said. I was convinced she truthfully did not know what I was talking about. She looked at the floor for a while before she looked back at me. "Can I ask you something?" She asked.

"Um… I'm sorry… but I just met you…" I started, thinking she was going to ask me out- and I didn't think she was that kind of girl. She shot me a glare.

"Not that!" She said, blushing. "On your way here from the station… was everything okay?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked. I had just met this girl, and if I hallucisnated the events that happened, I didn't want a hot girl thinking I'm mentally unstable.

"You know what I-"She started. "N- Never mind." She looked at me, scanning me up and down. "It seems like you're alright." She said with a smile on her face. "Well, I'd better get going."

"Alright. I hope we'll be seeing a lot of each other." I said, winking. She blushed, smiled, and began to walk down the hallway( I said I didn't want to go out with her- but you've gotta start somewhere, right?).

"Oh, I'm sure you have other questions, but save them for later, okay? Good night." She walked the rest of the way down the hallway, my fantasies of how much I would LOVE this dorm overrunning my mind. I grabbed the knob and opened my door. I got into a loose t-shirt, and climbed into bed.

I lay awake for fifteen minutes, the day's events playing over in my head. But by the end, I had reached one conclusion. _"I love this place."_

**...**

**Wow, what a chapter…**

** Josh: Is that me? Because I don't want anyone else but Amaterasu…**

** Nope- it's me… And I'm loving every minute of it.**

** Mitsuru: I could tell. You had some wandering eyes when we met.**

** Yukari: Good, I wasn't imagining it.**

** Sorry… you're just both so beautiful…**

** Amaterasu: Excuse me for saying so, but you're kind of becoming a player.**

**What can I say? I'm a natural!**

** I hope you guys enjoyed this. When we get further in, I'll have more liberties with my story. And I'm going to take a **_**lot **_**of liberties. So R&R, favorite, and let me know what I should do coming up. I don't have to follow by the book. See you guys, and I hope you're having a fantastic day.**


	2. Chapter 2: I Hate School

**Great. We get to go to school this episode...**

**Mitsuru: Come on Josh- it won't be that bad.**

**Yukari: Yeah! I'm actually kind of looking forward to the first day of school!**

**I guess you're right... I should probably make some friends.**

**Josh: Oh, that's funny. You think you can make friends.**

**Do you want me to put some wolf dissecting scene somewhere in this story? Because I will.**

**Amaterasu: *sniffle***

**Ugh... fine, but I'll still get you back you fleabag.**

* * *

I woke up the next morning with a want to stay in bed. But realizing the fact that this was my first day in the dorm, I figured I'd better make a good impression. I swung my legs over the edge and stood up. I went over to my sink and began to splash my face with water.

There was a knock on my door. I heard Yukari on the other side. "It's Yukari. Are you awake?" I dried my face off and straightened up.

"Yeah, I'm up." I replied. I opened the door for her and stepped aside, and she walked in.

"Good morning!" She said in a sing-song voice. "Did you sleep okay?" She asked. I nodded a yes. "Mitsuru-senpai asked me to take you to school."

"Alright, then. I'm kind of looking forward to school. You know- it'll only be my 4th this year…" I said laughing.

"Make sure you hold onto the whole 'I'm looking forward to school' business, okay?" She said with a tone of sarcasm in her voice. "Whatever… Anyway, it's getting late, so… Are you ready to go?" She asked, looking at me changing my shirt. I was proud of my chest. I was kind of buff, but not disgustingly so. I got into my uniform.

"Yeah, I'm ready." I said with a smile on my face.

"O-okay, then let's go." She was probably stuttering because she saw me shirtless. I don't know; it seemed okay. Guys take their shirts off in public all the time… But something in my mind screamed at me.

"_You weren't in public. You were alone. With Yukari."_ I smiled to myself. After bidding goodbyes, we left the dorm and went in the direction of the train station. We were standing next to each other on the train.

"So, that's it." She said, giving me a run-down of the school. "See? There it is!" She said, looking in the direction of a large building. It was one of the biggest I've ever seen.

We were walking towards the entrance, and people were constantly saying high to Yukari. "Well, someone's quite the social butterfly, eh?" I asked with a smirk.

"What can I say? It's in my genes!" She laughed. We made it to the front gate. "Well, this is it! We're here- welcome to Gekkoukan High School! Hope you like it!" She said, smiling at me. We walked in the entrance and made it to the lockers.

"You're okay from here right?" She asked. I nodded.

"Yeah. I should be able to find my way around." She smiled.

"Well, you should go see your homeroom teacher first. The Faculty Office is right there to the left. …And that concludes the tour. Do you have any questions before I go?" She asked.

"Which class are you in?" I asked. I'm good at making friends, but this school gave me an… uneasy feeling.

"I don't know. I haven't looked at the classroom assignments yet." She looked at the ground. "Hey…" She started. "About last night… don't tell anyone what you saw, okay?"

"Yeah… I'll try to forget about the heart attack…" I mumbled.

"Thanks. See ya!" She walked away. I walked over to the bulletin board. "Maindo, Maindo…" I chanted, looking for my name. I looked up and down the list over four times. "Josh Maindo… Class F." I read aloud.

"Eh, I'll check in with the Faculty Office." I said. I walked down the hallway across from me, and found the Faculty Office easily. I went inside and found multiple teachers.

One looked over when I closed the door. "Oh, are you the new student?" She asked.

"Josh Maindo." I said, extending my hand.

"Josh Maindo, 11th grade, correct?" She asked, shaking it. I nodded. "Wow… you've lived in a lot of different places." I shot a glare at her.

"Don't remind me." I mumbled.

"Let's see… in 1999… that was, what 13 years ago? Your parents-"She gasped in surprise. I could tell by the apologetic look on her face that she was feeling guilty. "I- I'm sorry. I've been so busy I didn't have time to read this beforehand."

"_Or before it left your mouth…"_ I thought angrily.

"I'm Ms. Toriumi. I teach Composition. Welcome to our school."

"Nice to meet you…" I said, doing my best to put any feelings behind me. I definitely wanted to make a good impression on my homeroom teacher, after all.

"Wow, such enthusiasm!" She said. "Have you seen the classroom assignments? You're in 2-F; that's my class." She smiled. "Oh, but first we need to go to the auditorium. The Welcoming Ceremony will be starting soon. Follow me." She walked out of the room.

I followed. _"I hate opening ceremonies…"_ I thought.

**...**

"As you begin the new school year, I'd like each of you to remember this proverb; if a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well. When applied to student life, this means…" The principal droned on and on. I groaned quietly.

"Psst… Hey…" The kid behind me said, tapping on my shoulder. "You came to school with Yukari this morning, right? I saw you two walking together. I have a question. Do you know if she has a boyfriend?" He asked.

I may have only known Yukari for a day, but if there was one thing I learned, she doesn't like quick advancements(like this morning when she saw me shirtless, or when I thought she was asking me out last night…). So I decided to do her a favor. "Yes. I'm fairly confident she does." I said, thinking back to her blush when she saw me shirtless.

"Man, I knew it. I mean, why wouldn't she? Wait- how well do you know her?" Is this kid obsessed with Yukari? I mean, she's hot…and I even live with her. And I haven't even shown THAT much interest. I was about to answer when a teacher said something.

"I hear talking…" He said. "I believe it's someone in Ms. Toriumi's class." The kid shot back into his seat, and Ms. Toriumi growled at us.

"Be quiet… You're going to get me in trouble." I listened and I heard at least half of the school talking. Oh well, teacher logic is a lost cause.

…

I got out of my seat after class. I walked a few steps and was stopped by some kid. He had on a typical school uniform and a hat. He was also growing a goatee. "'Sup, dude? How's it goin'?" I felt like pointing out his slaughtering of English, but that probably wouldn't score me a whole lot of points with friends.

"Who are you?" I asked. He just walked over and acted like he knew me.

"Oh, me? I'm Junpei Iori. Nice to meet ya. I transferred here when I was in 8th grade."

"Heh, I transferred here when I was in 11th." He laughed.

"I know how tough it is bein' the new kid. So I wanted to say… hey. See what a nice guy I am?" He said, chuckling. Yukari walked in the door.

"Hey, Yukari," I said smoothly. She waved at me.

"Hey! It's Yuka-tan. I didn't think we'd be in the same class again." She sighed and looked at me, shaking her head. She looked back at Junpei.

"At it again, huh? I swear… you'll talk to anyone if they'll listen." I chuckled under my breath at Yukari's obvious dislike of Junpei. "Did you ever think you might be bothering someone?

"What?" He said, holding his hands up in defense. "I was just bein' friendly!" Yukari sighed.

"If you say so…" She said. I looked over at her. We locked eyes for a second, and looked away. "Anyway… looks like we're in the same homeroom." She said to me.

"It must be fate!" I laughed, trying to imply it was a joke.

"Fate? Yeah, right." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Yukari… If you're going to hang out with me, you're going to have to learn to take a joke." I said with a questioning look on my face.

"Still, I'm a little surprised…" She said laughing.

"Hello? Did you forget I'm in this class too?" Junpei said, speaking up. "By the way, I heard you two came to school together this morning. What's up with that? C'mon, gimme the dirt!"

"What are you talking about?" Yukari gasped.

"Trust me Junpei, there's no dirt to give."

"We live in the same dorm! Th-there's nothing going on, okay?" She said. I think I was the only one who caught her nearly inaudible stutter. "Why are people even talking about it? Now you have me worried…"

I scoffed at Junpei's apparent love of gossip. I was putting any and all blame on Junpei at this point, because I hadn't heard anything about this until now.

"Hey," Yukari started. "You didn't tell anyone about… you know what, did you?" She asked with a worried look on her face.

"Nope. " I said, with a grin. If I was to tell anyone anything about Yukari, it would not be she pulled a gun on me. Well, according to Mitsuru, it wasn't a real gun… and I fairly trust Mitsuru considering she saved my life- technically.

"Okay, good." She said, relief washing over her. "Seriously… Don't say anything about last night." She said, slightly louder than her previous whisper. A look of horror occupied Junpei's face. "Wh- what? L-last night?" He asked. I nearly gasped in realization.

"N- No…" I started.

"Wait a minute- don't get the wrong idea!" She started to stutter. "Listen! I just met him yesterday, and there's absolutely nothing between us! Geez."

"Come on Junpei. Get through your head that just because it's high school doesn't mean that we're that way." I said, becoming furious.

"I've gotta go. I've got something to take care of for the archery team. But you'd better not start any rumors!" She screamed. I made an 'x' over my heart with a dignified look. She walked out of the room.

"Ah, who cares? It's not like anyone takes rumors seriously, anyway." He said, brushing off everything that just happened. "She's so paranoid. But, hey! It's your first day here and people are already talking about you!" He smiled.

"What can I say? I'm a natural."

"Believe it or not, she's actually pretty popular. You da man!" He laughed. "Hehehe, this is gonna be a fun year. I can feel it!" I smiled.

"I guess you're right. Wanna walk home?" I asked. He smiled.

"Yeah, sure. Besides, I should get some popularity out of it…" He smiled. "Let's go…"

"Josh. Josh Maindo." I said, extending my hand. "I think we'll get along just fine…" We walked out of the front of the school. I looked over and saw multiple girls crowding around one guy. "Gotta learn a thing or two from him". We spent the rest of the way home talking about the past. And normally, I would hate it, but because it was Junpei, I had fun.

I reached the dorm by evening. "Alright, well, I'll see you, Junpei." I said. He nodded and we headed our separate ways. I walked in to Mitsuru on the couch reading a book.

"Welcome back." She said, putting her book down. "How was school?"

"Typical. A few rumors, a few friends, a long ceremony…"

"Glad to see you had a good time." She said, returning to her book. I walked over to the sign-in sheet and scribbled my name down. "By the way, you really shouldn't be outside alone at night. It's too dangerous. Anyway, you must be tired. You should get a good night's rest."

I walked to the kitchen. "Hey, Yukari." I said, taking a seat. "What's up?"

"I'm still a little angry at that little rumor someone spread."

"Oh, that reminds me. Some guy wanted to ask you out at the ceremony- he was sitting behind me." I said.

"Ugh. Have the guts to ask me to my face…" She said furiously. I held my hands up in defense and she cooled down. "Sorry. Do you know how many guys have asked me out? And not one of them has said it to my face."

"I'm very sorry to hear that Yukari." I said, already walking away coolly. I was determined to keep my dignity.

"By the way," She started. I turned around. "You might want to get a good night's sleep tonight." I went upstairs, exhausted by school and not getting to bed until 12:20 this morning.

"Ugh," I groaned, settling onto my bed. "Good night, Japan." I closed my eyes.

* * *

**Yukari: No one takes rumors seriously?**

***mumbles* Someones never played Persona 2...**

**Yukari: What was that?**

**Nothing! But... where's Mitsuru?**

**Josh: She's downstairs studying.**

**How do you know? You don't live in this dorm!**

**Josh: Psh... As far as you know.**

**Ummm...**

* * *

**R&R, favorite, and if you liked this then go ahead and check out my other stories- Sunrise uploads will continue tomorrow! This will be uploaded on Wednesday and Saturday while Sunrise is uploaded on Mondays and Thursdays! I hope you enjoyed and I hope you guys are having a fantastic day.**


	3. Chapter 3: Rumors Are Spreading

**Sorry for not uploading Sunrise- there's so much going on lately. I've had-**

**Josh: Do you think they care?**

**Maybe... Wait, if I don't upload Sunrise, that means I won't have to deal with you as much!**

**Josh: Puh-lease. You care too much about your viewers to stop.**

**I hate you.**

* * *

I yawned as I woke up the next morning. "Hey! Maindo!" I heard someone banging on my door. I got up and trudged over. I opened it to Mitsuru. "Someone loves sleeping. You need to leave in five." She said, already walking away.

"Mitsuru," I said, starting after her. "Thanks. For everything. I know that you probably weren't too happy having a new kid move into your dorm. So thanks for putting up with me." I said.

"Maindo… It's been an immense pleasure having you here. No need for thanks." She said, shaking my hand. "The next train leaves in fifteen minutes. Get down to the station by then."

I went and changed into new clothes. Granted, I definitely didn't have much choice- considering we had school uniforms. "_I wonder how Yukari gets around it. I might have to ask her." _ I thought. I walked to the front door. Yukari was there.

"Hey!" She said. "What's up?"

"Nothing since last night." I said, shrugging. "So, why were you waiting?" I asked. There was no need- I'm not a little kid.

"Why wouldn't I?" She asked.

"Well, that rumor's going around, and I figured you might already be sick of me…" I said. I mean, it wouldn't be the first time. Which reminds me, I'm looking forward to seeing Junpei today.

"It's hard to be. You're just so nice…" I looked at her suspiciously. I looked at Mitsuru.

"What did you put in her drink?" I laughed. She smiled, and stood up next to us.

"Nothing… yet." She laughed, and eventually we were all laughing. "I'm going to school with you guys today. We had a student council meeting yesterday at the dorm, so I stayed here." Alright… so this is fine.

"You're in student council?" I asked. She shrugged as if it was nothing. I haven't exactly been at the best of my class. So I decided right then and there I was going to improve in the academics category. "Ah, well. Let's get moving, shall we?"

We made it to the station with minutes to spare. We stepped on the train and it lurched forward. "Ugh… sometimes I get train-sick…" Mitsuru said, nearly falling over.

"Hey, hey, hey!" I said, steadying her on my shoulder. "No worries, okay? If you get sick, just hold on to me, okay?" She nodded, and she was holding on to me the entire ride. It was _amazing_. Yukari kept trying to talk, but it was hard with Mitsuru on my shoulders.

"So… uh… Anyone make any new friends?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yesterday, I met this one guy… Amesuki. He was cute…" Yukari stated. I nodded at her. I didn't want to respond, because I would be dead no matter what I said. If I said that I didn't care, it would imply I like her. If I said I was relieved, it was an implication I wasn't into her. I hate situations like this.

"I'm happy for you Yukari." I said, hoping she wouldn't take the wrong idea.

"Thanks!" She exclaimed, straightening her skirt. We arrived at Gekkoukan minutes before the bell.

"I guess I'll see you guys back at the dorm…" I said, starting to walk. I stopped when I felt Mitsuru's hand on my shoulder.

"Thanks for the support, Josh…" She said, kissing me on the cheek. "I'll see you later." She walked away.

"Josh? Josh?" Yukari asked, trying to shake me out of my daze.

"Uh… uh… yeah! I'm fine. No problem." I said, regaining my cool. "Alright, let's walk to the front gate." We walked halfway there before Yukari bid me goodbye for her friends. I was at the gate when I saw two girls there. They were loudmouths, because I could hear them at the other side of the gate.

"Did you hear the rumor?" one asked the other.

"Oh, um… something about… a bathroom?" She said awkwardly.

"N-No!" The first one said. "Not that one! The one about the first-year student!" I hate to admit it, but I love rumors. But if they're spreading something about a first-year student, I would punch a wall. "Not only did she stop coming to school, she just sits and stares at walls all day."

_"Sounds like an interesting enough hobby…"_ I joked with myself.

"When her mother tries to talk to her, she only mutters to herself, 'It's coming… It's coming…!'"

_"Freakin' Apathy Syndrome." _I thought to myself. Apathy Syndrome had been spreading throughout Japan like wildfire. And it pretty much makes you immobile, and insensitive, and… unfeeling. Pretty much, you sit there, stare, and moan and groan.

"Huh, sounds interesting." The other girl said.

"You don't believe me?" The first girl said. Then the first bell rang. I started my leisurely walk towards class F. I met Yukari on the way there.

"Glad I caught up with you!" She said, striding next to me; I took some pretty big steps.

"Hey, Yukari. Have you heard about the increases in Apathy Syndrome?" I asked. She nodded.

"Yeah. It's been plaguing Japan like nobody's business." We made it to Class F just on time.

"You go in- I'll come in a few minutes later, okay?" I asked. She looked at me in confusion. "Well, if we walk in together, people will get the wrong idea. So, I'll take the blame this time around. Don't worry." Yukari shook her head.

"Let them get think what they want…" She whispered, practically pulling me inside. We stepped inside, and Ms. Toriumi cleared her throat.

"Ah, Josh and Yukari. Finally. Now let's get to our seats, chop chop." We walked over, people exchanging laughs, looks, and most likely gossip. I glared at the entire class before sitting down as my way of saying I'm getting ticked at the rumors. People looked at my gesture, and the class went quiet. Heck, it was_ dead silent. _

"What?" I asked, now raising my voice. "Oh, let me guess this is about me and Yukari, eh?" I said, looking at the entire class. "Well guess what… I don't care. See? Unaffected. But I don't want you guys ruining Yukari's junior year! You only get one you know! Except for a select few who'll be here next year. And, heck, if this comes across like I like her… Why do I care? So each of you just mind your own business!"

"Josh… Sit down in your seat… now!" Ms. Toriumi barked.

"Oh, come on. _Compose_ yourself in a way that you'll be proud of, Ms. Toriumi. Let me express myself a little."

"Haha. You won me over with your witty banter. Continue."

"So, each of you gossipers, punks, rockers… I don't care if you see me as an idiot. Think back to kindergarten. We were all friends! What happened?"

"We grew up!" One kid screamed.

"Did we?" I chuckled. "I thought that growing up required maturity." I scoffed, putting my hands in my pockets and sitting in my seat. I looked over at Junpei, and he was mouthing three words.

_"You got guts." _I nodded and simply settled into my seat, everyone's eyes still trained on me.

"What? The lesson's up there!" I gestured towards the board.

"Thank you, Josh for that insight on high school. Anyway, open your textbooks and we'll take a look at the first novel by Zenzou Kasai." She said, flipping open her teacher's book. There were one or two kids still looking at me, wondering what to classify me as. "Ugh… why him? I'd rather teach Utsubo Kubota."

All the eyes were now trained in the board, some obviously daydreaming, and some actually paying attention. "He became famous as a singer, but he's also produced fine literature. I wonder why it's not in the textbook. Well, I'll just bring Kubota's book next time. Hey… Junpei! Were you listening? Who did I say was my favorite author?"

"H-Huh? Um…" He started. "Psst! Who does she like?" He asked as stealthily as possible.

"Utsubo Kubota." I whispered, and he stood up tall.

"Well, Ms. Toriumi, that would be Utsubo Kubota." He said, his cocky smile occupying his face.

"That's right! So you were listening to me after all!"

"Eheheh… Well, you know how I like to pay attention!" He sat down. "Man, you saved my bacon Josh!" He whispered. I just gave him a gesture that said 'don't mention it.'

I listened to all my whispering classmates. "Josh gave him the answer… He must pay attention in class!" I smiled and settled into my seat. Piece of cake. I felt like I was slightly more popular.

=Your charm has increased!

We'd reached lunchtime and I sat with Yukari and Junpei. "Man, ballsy move in there with the stand-up." Junpei smiled. "It takes a lot of guts to do that."

"Thanks Josh." Yukari said. "I mean… that was just so… nice. Thanks." She said, trying to find words.

"Eh, it was nothing. I've been wanting to show these punks a thing or two ever since I got here." I smiled.

"You got here yesterday." Junpei said. I nodded and laughed with a shrug. The rest of the day was uneventful. I walked through Iwatodai alone. There were so many people. I don't know why; most people seemed to work there though.

I reached the dorm. I walked in to see one man and Yukari sitting on the couches. "Oh, he's back." Yukari said, gesturing towards me.

"So, this is our new guest." He said, turning nothing but his head to look at me. He and Yukari stood up and walked over to me. "Good evening." He said. "My name is Shuji Ikutsuke. I'm the chairman of the board for your school. Ikutsuke… Hard to say, isn't it? That's why I don't like introducing myself. Even I get tongue-tied sometimes. Please, have a seat." He said, directing me to a couch.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Josh Maindo." I said, finally able to get a word in.

"I apologize about the confusion regarding your accommodations. However it may take a while longer before you receive the proper room assignment. Is there anything you'd like to ask?" He continued.

"No offense, but why are you here?" I asked.

"To welcome you of course. Well, to be honest, I do have other business here. Speaking of which, where's Mitsuru, Yukari?"

"She's upstairs." She said, leaning back onto the couch.

"As diligent as always. Although, it doesn't hurt to come down and say hello…" He said, appearing as if he was about to get up. "Is there anything else?" He asked me.

"No, I'm good. Thanks for asking though." I said.

"Then, I hope you have a successful school year. Now, if you'll excuse me…" He got up from his chair and walked towards the arm of the chair. "You must be tired from all the excitement. You should go to bed early. As they say, the early bird catches the bookworm." I laughed when he said that.

"Please excuse the pun…" He said. I shook it off as he chuckled. He walked upstairs while Yukari sighed.

"You'll get used to his lame jokes." She said.

The rest of the evening flew by with Yukari, and eventually I went to bed. She told me she had "business" and went back downstairs. I decided to get into bed early- it would take a while before my sleep schedule was back on track.

"Ugh. School is a pain in the butt…" I whispered before drifting into sleep.

* * *

**Yukari: Well, Josh, welcome to Gekkoukan.**

**Thanks. Is this what the entire school year is going to be like?**

**Mitsuru: No... You're the first people to actually start an uproar in school in a while. I'll speak to you about it later.**

**Does that mean I'm in trouble, Senpai?**

**Mitsuru: We'll talk about it.**

**Josh: I hope he is. The author can be a total-**

**To you, maybe. That's because you're a jerk.**

**Amaterasu: Come on, Josh. ****We need to get ready for the next upload day.**

**Josh: You got off easy- this time.**

**R&R, Favorite, if you like this, stay posted- I love you guys, and I hope you're having a _fantastic_ day.**


	4. Chapter 4: Inception

**Persona's back after so long!**

**Yukari: You made us take a week and a half break.**

**Mitsuru: Now I need to catch up on my studies.**

**By the way, the name of this chapter- Inception- is because of the dream sequence.**

**Josh: You saw that movie today, didn't you?**

**I did, and it was AMAZING! You guys enjoy!**

* * *

The dream I had that night was a strange one. I was flying through the air before I came to a door. The door opened and I practically flew through it. I was sitting in a chair, looking at a man with the nose the size of a banana, and a woman standing there seriously.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, my dear young man." He said, looking at me without looking up. "My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

"Uh… hi." I said, taking in my surroundings. There were multiple doors on both sides, some covered with tarps. "What's behind those?" I asked myself.

"This is Elizabeth. She's a resident here, like myself." He continued. His nose- it's distracting.

"Hey, Elizabeth. I'm Josh, nice to meet you."

"Pleased to meet you." She said. Something about her voice was so alluring. She also had an aura of innocence, like she had yet to see the world, but at the same time had a feeling of wisdom. Igor's words snapped me back into consciousness.

"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter… It's been years since we've had a guest!"

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I guess." I laughed. All of a sudden he moved his hand to the side, flipping a book open on a circular table in front of me. "Hey… isn't that the contract I signed at the dorm?"

"Only those who have signed the contract can enter this place… Henceforth, you shall be welcomed in the Velvet Room. You are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require my help to do so. I only ask one thing in return." He said.

"What… Unique ability?" I felt like backing up my chair, because not only was it a weird set of circumstances, but I'd also met him- and I didn't know if I was hallucinating.

"…That you abide by the contract, and assume for responsibility for the choices you make." He continued.

"I understand." I said formally, trying to show my responsibility already.

"Hold on to this…" He said, putting something in my hand. It was a key of some sort- the kind that looked so regal it would open a mansion door. "Until we meet again." He said. The image in my mind faded. I slept through the rest of the dreamless night.

I woke up that morning with my mind foggy. "What kind of dream was that? What was I on last night?" All questions that assaulted my mind. "Ah, well. It's time for school- something even more alien than that dream.

I got on the train and rode to school. When I stepped off, I began my walk to school. I met Junpei on the way there. "What's up?" He asked enthusiastically. "Man, today is the perfect day! The sky is blue… We're young… What more could we ask for?"

"A good night's sleep would be a nice place to start…" I thought to myself. I scoffed. "I think you need rest…" I said sarcastically.

"Dude… I'm not sick!" He practically yelled. "Forget the ol' Junpei! This is the REAL me! You should cheer up, too. After all, you've got ME for a friend." After a laugh, we walked to our classroom. When we got to our class, we met a new teacher.

"Ahem… I'm Mr. Ekoda. I'll be teaching you Classic Literature. I'll be teaching you about good old Japan all year. Some people say Classic Lit isn't relevant to everyday life, but oh, how they're wrong! The students, the other teachers… Wrong, wrong, wrong! Nobody really understands Classic Lit."

"I'm trying to understand this teacher for starters…" I said, slumping in my chair. I felt my eyes start to droop.

"Hey… Are you all listening to me?" Mr. Ekoda's sharp voice awoke me. "Wake up, children! Now, open your textbooks. First on our syllabus is Ise Monogotari, the origin of Japanese literature. It's a very interesting story. You youngsters might call it, 'da bomb.'" He sighed. "I can tell you people are 'zoning out'…"

I was proud of myself for listening to Mr. Ekoda's ramblings.

-Your Academics has increased.

After class, Junpei approached me. "Man… that Mr. Ekoda is a real windbag, huh? Oh, well. So, you wanna walk home together? C'mon! I'll bet we could meet some cuties on the way back!"

"Alright… you convinced me…" I said, starting to walk away with my hands in my pockets. We walked to Iwatodai Station.

"So, what's it like livin' in a dorm full of girls, eh? Man, I'm so jealous!" He laughed.

"It's not full of girls. There are two girls. Yukari and Mitsuru."

"Oh well! It's better than what I get! Man…"

"Eh, it's okay, I guess. I mean, you know what girls are like sometimes, right? Ah, who am I kidding? It's amazing! I get to see Yukri and Mitsuru every morning!" We laughed on the way from the station.

"Alright, well I'll see ya!" He said, walking in his own direction.

"See you!" As I walked in the dorm, I was welcomed by Mitsuru.

"Welcome back." She said. "How was your day?"

"Fine I guess. It was boring though…" I said, walking to the kitchen. "Hey, Yukari." I said, hands in my pockets. "How was your day?" I asked.

"Ugh… Don't even get me started. This one guy started to hit on me- and he told me he would give me the honor of paying for him! What an egomaniac!"

"Wow!" I laughed. "You are one classy girl Yukari… you attract all the right dudes! I mean Junpei… that guy… what's next, a pedophile?"

"Shut up!" She said, punching me in the arm while chuckling. "I don't see anyone asking you out!"

Please… everyone secretly wants me!" We both laughed until our sides hurt. I was glad I got to have fun with Yukari- she was the best friend I had right now.

"Ok, well…" I got up and stretched, feeling all of my muscles stretch with me. "It's been a long day. I'm going to get some sleep…" I said, trudging upstairs.

"Alright, I'll see you later!" She said, watching me walk up the stairs.

I settled into my bed minutes after getting there. The remains of my consciousness were diminished as I finally passed into dreams.

* * *

**Josh: Short chapter today?**

**Yep. My Twitter explains a little more. Follow me on /JtheGildedSword.**

**Amaterasu: Ugh, the break is finally over- which means it's back to the old grind.**

**Josh: Unless something happens to the writer... *smiles deviously***

**Don't look at me. I hope you guys enjoyed, follow my twitter, R&R and Favorite! See you guys, and I hope you're having a fantastic day.**


	5. Chapter 5: Rude Awakening

**Josh: Yay! Persona's back!**

** Hey! I'm the one who starts the Author's Notes around here…**

** Amaterasu: Just… let him have it.**

** Fine… but just this once…**

** Enjoy the story! Make sure you buy a copy of this game for PS2 or at the PS3 Playstation Store! It's so much fun! You can also follow me JtheGildedSword on Twitter! Have fun!**

"_Can't they keep it down?"_ I thought, swinging my legs over the side of my bed, and getting up. I started out of my room when I heard a frantic banging on my door.

"Wake up!" I heard Yukari yell on the other end of the door. "Sorry, I'm coming in!" She unlocked the door- how long has she had the key to my room? She came in and looked at me… shirtless… again.

_"Dude, you really gotta start sleeping with your shirt on…_" I thought to myself, running to my closet and throwing on a shirt. "What is it?" I asked, straightening it on my own body.

"I- I don't have time to explain. We have to get out of here, now!" She said, doing a poor job of hiding her nervous stutter. Wow- she does that a lot… I nodded, only to feel a second later the ground shake under us. "Hurry! Downstairs! We'll leave through the back door!" She said, turning her back, and starting out the door.

"What's going on?" I asked, taking off down the hall after her.

"Ah- wait!" She said, coming to a stop in front of me. "…Take this, just in case…" She said, taking a short, folding sword out of her knee high socks. I held it, examining it. It folded into three parts, each part folding(somehow on top of one another) onto one another, eventually folding into the hilt itself. I could flip it up and down with ease, almost as though it was made for me.

"Okay, we don't have time to waste! Let's go!" Yukari said, grabbing my sleeve and pulling me with force down the hallway. We reached the bottom floor, and she pulled me into the diner and to the back door. "…Alright, we should be safe now-" She said, starting to shift her weight onto her left leg impatiently.

I heard Mitsuru's strong voice come through Yukari's phone. "Takeba- do you read me?" She started.

Yukari shifted, looked at her phone, and replied shakily. "Y-Yes! I hear you!" She immediately looked up at my face, maybe for some sort of solidness. And I displayed it well, if I do say so myself.

"Be careful!" was Mitsuru's immediate reply. "There's more than one enemy!" My mind began racing with possibilities.

_"What enemy are we fighting? How can we fight it, if it can shake the entire building? What if we don't make it out alive?_" But… I knew that I had to stay strong- if not more for Yukari's sake than my own.

"The one we're fighting isn't the one Akihiko saw!" I hadn't heard of an Akihiko- maybe Yukari mentioned him once on a train ride, but that's about all the background I have on him. But, heck, if he's risking his life to fight whatever we're up against, hats off to him.

"What!?" Yukari glanced at me again. Granted, I didn't quite know what we were up against, but I needed to do something.

"It's gonna be okay. We just need to-" I was immediately cut off by an inhuman bang on the back door.

"L-Let's pull back!" She said in horror. She grabbed my sleeve again, for what I was assuming was something to release pressure on. Because I most definitely felt it. "Wh-What are we going to do…? They're downstairs!" Well, if there's one thing I've realized, it was that Yukari wasn't a very quick thinker.

"Let's get away from them, upstairs." I said in immediate response, this time dragging her. By the time we'd made it up the stairs, the shaking of the building had become more rapid and more violent.

"Oh, no…" Yukari said, panicking. "What are we going to do?" She asked, looking at me as the floor shook once more.

"Look, Yukari, I need you to stay calm. You can't- look at me, okay? You can't panic right now, okay? Just stay with me." I said, walking calmly towards the next set of stairs. Well- I could try. The Building shook and nearly had us lose our balance. I gradually quickened our pace towards the next set of stairs. We had made it up two flights when we heard a crash from downstairs.

"What was that?" Yukari asked starting to panic once again. "Josh- what are we going to do?"

_"Oh, great. They're inside. How wonderful._" I thought to myself. "Okay, look, look, look. We're going to be fine, okay?"

"K-Keep moving!" She said, starting to push me. Yeah, she was beyond the point of no return. "Hurry!" We ran up the final flight of stairs, reaching a door that led to the roof. "O-Oh! Yeah, if we go out through here!" She said, running out the door with me in tow. She slammed the door and locked it behind us.

But it wasn't long before we still felt the shaking. And the noises got closer, and closer, and we realized they were located behind us. "Y-Yukari?" I started, turning around. "What are we up against here?" I asked, as a black, shadowy hand ascended from the other side of the wall. I looked around in a panicked state, and became immediately aware of the blood, the discolored moon, and, most of all, the black figure rising from the other side of the wall.

It held its face- or at least I assume that's what it was- in one of its hands. And then, following the spectacle of tilting its hand to look us up and down, it drew swords out of nowhere. Almost out of thin air. And then it was charging.

Yukari drew closer to me, backing into my figure, hardly taller than hers. But it gave her security. "Those monsters- we call them shadows!" She said, gripping my sleeve once again. I watched her as her hand dropped to her side, grabbed a gun and put it to her head.

I couldn't operate, couldn't think. I watched as she tightened her fingers on the trigger, but never officially pulled it. And she wasn't able to. In what seemed like an adrenaline rush, Yukari jumped out of the way, to the other side of the door, a mere ten feet away. But her gun was at my feet.

In a pool of blood, I watched the gun itself make an imposition on the pool's surface. I looked up calmly, into the eyes of the monster. Why wasn't it moving? Was it studying me? To see if I was worthy to kill? It moved awkwardly, studying me. The boy that had me sign the contract's face flashed in my mind. "Go on." He said, looking at me expectantly.

I bent down, not even of my own free will. I picked up the gun, and held it. I looked at the shadow standing in front of me. _"Now what do I do?"_ The image of Yukari about to pull the trigger flashed in my mind. Mitsuru's stating it wasn't a real gun. It's like it was all one big puzzle, and I held the very solution in my hand.

I put it to my head, images assaulting my mind. I wrapped my finger around the trigger. I panted now, anxious, scared. I breathed in and out, my hand still shakily holding the gun to my head. I let out one final gasp, finally refocusing my thoughts.

My mouth, as if operating on its own, parted lips, and began to speak. I had no control at this point, no feeling. But my mouth slowly formed three syllables.

"Per-so-na…" I said, waiting a moment… and then finally pulling the trigger.


End file.
